A “gimme” in the game of golf is a short putt that is conceded by a golfer's competition or playing companions because the putt is close enough to the hole that the probability of the golfer missing the shot is extremely low. When a gimme is awarded, the player can pick up the ball and add a stroke to their score without actually putting the ball into the hole. A gimme eliminates the time needed to set up for the short putt and eliminates the risk of missing the short putt. It is the player's competition or playing companions and not the player himself that may award a gimme.
Gimmes may be used in all match play format events, including professional events, where the score is kept by number of holes won, lost, and tied versus an opponent. Well known match play format events include the men's and women's United States Amateurs, and The Accenture World Match Play Championship. The U.S.G.A and Royal and Ancient Golf Club have a complete set of rules dedicated to match play golf.
Far more common than the gimme putts in official match play competition is the gimme putt in casual weekend play among friends, or social or non-sanctioned golf tournaments, such as company golf outings or fundraisers. Such social and non-sanctioned golf tournaments usually are played using a stroke play format, in which the total number of strokes per round determines the player's score.
Typically, a gimme is improper if it would yield a score below par for a particular hole, irrespective of the length of the putt, because such a score commands a reverence that must be earned. Also, when a putt is for a score of par or higher, the maximum length from the hole for awarding a gimme may vary depending on the location of the preceding shot, because the gimme also may be used to reward a good shot. The distance for a gimme may be marginally further for shots originating from off the green than shots originating from on the green. A more generous gimme distance may be granted because of the difficulty of landing a shot close to the hole when the shot originates from off the green, such as the fairway, rough or bunker, relative to when the shot is a putt originating from another spot on the green.
Gimme putts are utilized in part to reduce the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf. In a typical round of golf for a par golfer, an estimated 50% of shots are hit from the putting green and more than 25% are second or third putts within a few feet of the hole. Even if the average player takes one minute to play a single shot, it can be quickly ascertained that the time accumulation merely spent on short putts comprises a significant part of a round of golf. If an average of two members of a foursome have gimme putts on every hole the time saved would be more than a half hour of play per round. This reduces traffic around the hole, and the time savings increases capacity for a golf course, and increases game appeal for those who are concerned about spending too much time on a golf course away from family, work or other activities.
Besides the economic impetus for awarding gimme putts, there is an important social aspect to the gesture. Common courtesy dictates that opposing players or playing companions in competitive and non-competitive formats, should concede a putt if the ball is sufficiently close to the hole. Two underlying social motivations for extending this courtesy to one's playing partners, besides speeding up play, include safeguarding the enjoyment of the game for all players involved, and the duty of rewarding fellow competitors and companions for making good shots in such a difficult game.
One arbitrary gauge for this concession is use of a putter to determine when a ball is “within the leather,” or within the length of the shaft below the putter handle when the putter head is placed inside the hole. For two principal reasons, this method has never achieved wide acceptance. First, the length of putters varies considerably, particularly in the last two decades with the introduction of longer putters that can extend all the way up to a golfer's chin. The resulting lack of a standard “inside the leather” length makes the equitable application of this methodology prohibitive.
Second, use of the method implies a certain unethical lack of consideration for the condition of the golf hole. If each golfer playing a golf hole on any given day puts the head of a putter inside the golf hole and pulls it against the edge of the cup to obtain a true measure of the “inside the leather” status of a golf ball, the putter shaft and head would inevitably damage the turf around the edge of the cup. Because each golfer has an inherent obligation to maintain the golf course properly, i.e., raking sand traps, replacing divots, fixing ball marks, etc., such destructive behavior could be construed as disregard for a fundamental, core value of the game.
Moreover, the enjoyment of the recreational golf environment can be fractured when a player is not awarded a gimme putt when he has a “sure thing” or after making a shot he feels deserves a show of gratuitous sportsmanship from his competitors, e.g., Scenario 1, below. If the player subsequently misses the putt he felt should have been a gimme, a resulting negative emotion from missing the “sure thing” may pervade not only the individual player, but the entire group for the remainder of the round and beyond, e.g., Scenario 2, below.
Also, the institutional integrity of the game of golf is undermined by the misapplication of gimme putts by individual golfers and groups at golf events. On an individual level, a golfer awarding gimme putts to himself at his own discretion is a common form of cheating that threatens the accuracy of the handicap system, e.g., Scenario 3, below. On a group level, the lack of uniformity of gimme determination between groups at a competitive event yields an inequitable competitive advantage for the teams with the most lenient methods, e.g., Scenario 4, below. The lack of a standardized gimme poses a threat to the handicap system and to fair competition, ultimately making the game less enjoyable for everyone involved.